K
Kestrel2126
Well-known member
Just got back from 3 days of Avalanche classes/training in Silverton CO, taught by Mike Duffy. I cannot say enough about this course, and how much better I feel after taking it! I was able to get 6 of my crew down with me, and now have a ton more confidence in my knowledge and ability to recognize potential, and deal with avalanches. I cannot stress how beneficial this class is to anybody who rides in avalanche terrain.
We spent approximately 1/3 of the time in the classroom, and the rest in the middle of the San Juan Mtn's, which has literally, the highest avy activity in the lower 48. We learned how to recognize potential avy danger, check snowpack stability, ride properly as a group, practiced with beacons and other avy gear (probes, airbags, etc,). The final day, we were able to practice scenarios, of searching for burials, on a actual debris pile runout from an avy the previous night.
The Silverton Avalanche School hosted, and assisted Mike in the training, but having Mike design and teach the class directed towards snowmobiling, was awesome. What I thought I "knew", compared to what I learned, was a real eyeopener. I have taken the 4 hour class previously, but this course is night and day, more beneficial, and informative. None of us ever wants to have to tell a buddies wife or parents, that they were caught in an avalanche, and did not make it. After taking this class, I feel 100% confident that if I get caught in a slide, my crew will be able to react properly, and give me the BEST possible chance of survival.
Look for this class to come to an area near you, and GO TO IT!
We spent approximately 1/3 of the time in the classroom, and the rest in the middle of the San Juan Mtn's, which has literally, the highest avy activity in the lower 48. We learned how to recognize potential avy danger, check snowpack stability, ride properly as a group, practiced with beacons and other avy gear (probes, airbags, etc,). The final day, we were able to practice scenarios, of searching for burials, on a actual debris pile runout from an avy the previous night.
The Silverton Avalanche School hosted, and assisted Mike in the training, but having Mike design and teach the class directed towards snowmobiling, was awesome. What I thought I "knew", compared to what I learned, was a real eyeopener. I have taken the 4 hour class previously, but this course is night and day, more beneficial, and informative. None of us ever wants to have to tell a buddies wife or parents, that they were caught in an avalanche, and did not make it. After taking this class, I feel 100% confident that if I get caught in a slide, my crew will be able to react properly, and give me the BEST possible chance of survival.
Look for this class to come to an area near you, and GO TO IT!
